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Athens protests new Turkish Navtex for hydrographic survey

The Greek Herald
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Athens protests new Turkish Navtex for hydrographic survey

Greece said on Thursday it had protested to Turkey over its deployment of a research vessel in the Aegean Sea, in what it called an “unnecessary” move as the two NATO allies seek to resume talks over a long-standing maritime dispute.

An advisory issued by Turkey’s navy this week showed the research vessel Cesme would be conducting a hydrographic survey from Feb. 18 until March 2 in an area of international waters where both sides have potential interests.

“It’s an unnecessary move which does not help positive sentiment,” government spokesman Christos Tarantilis told reporters.

The foreign ministry has made a verbal complaint, government officials said, adding the so-called NAVTEX advisory was illegal as it was issued from a station with no such jurisdiction.

After a five-year pause and months of tension over overlapping claims for energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean last year, Greek and Turkish officials met in Ankara on Jan. 25 to discuss the delimitation of maritime zones.

The meeting in Istanbul ended after a few hours and the two countries, at odds over a number of decades-old issues including the extent of their continental shelves, have agreed to meet again in Athens.

Athens has sent an invitation to Ankara suggesting the talks resume in early March – ahead of a European leaders summit – and it is awaiting a response from Turkey, foreign ministry spokesman Alexandros Papaioannou told reporters.

Since 2002, the two countries have held dozens of rounds of talks to try to lay the groundwork for full negotiations over the issue. But obstacles remain, including what each side is willing to discuss.

*Source: Reuters 

On This Day: Pap smear inventor, Georgios Papanikolaou, was born

The Greek Herald
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On This Day: Pap smear inventor, Georgios Papanikolaou, was born

Described by many as one of the most brilliant scientific minds of the 20th century, Georgios Papanikolaou is recognised for developing the life-saving cervical cancer test also known as Pap smear or Pap test. 

But in his lifetime, the doctor was not always appreciated for his achievements. This is his story: 

‘I’m no longer a dreamer’

  • Born on the Greek island of Euboea on May 13, 1883, Papanikolaou was one of four children.
  • He attended the University of Athens, majoring in music and the humanities. 
  • According to the tradition of those times, the firstborn son had to follow his father’s steps, but as his brother chose law, Papanikolaou, who was already showing an inclination towards medicine, took up the responsibility instead. 
  • In 1898, aged only 15, he managed to get into the School of Medicine of the National University of Athens and, after graduation, he worked in the military as an assistant surgeon for a short time. In 1904, he graduated with top honours. 
  • He returned to Greece, and for the next two years, he cared for leprosy patients on the outskirts of his hometown. 
  • The scientist also used this time to study philosophy and biology. But, he discovered scientific research fascinated him.
  • Aware of this, his father decided to send him to Germany for further studies and it was during this time that the scientist decided that research and biology would be the purpose of his life.
  • He received a PhD in zoology in 1910. 

Life in the United States 

  • In 1910, after his return to Greece, Papanikolaou married the educated and open-minded Andromache Mavroyeni (Mary). She was the descendant of the Mavrogenous family who made history fighting against the Ottomans in the Greek War of Independence.
  • In 1913, he and his wife disembarked in New York. 
  • The couple initially struggled to make a living – Papanikolaou sold carpets and played the violin in restaurants as Mary sewed buttons for $5 a week, but he would overcome the difficulties quickly.
  • In October 1914, Papanikolaou was recruited as a researcher at Cornell University, where he would work for the next 47 years.
  • There, Papanikolaou worked alongside his wife who served as a technician and sometimes test subject.

The Pap test 

  • While Papanikolaou’s research would eventually be on human physiology, he started his studies with guinea pigs. 
  • He devoted his time researching early cancer diagnosis through recovery and identification of exfoliated cancer cells.
  • From 1920, Papanikolaou started to focus on the cytopathology, a branch of pathology that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level, of the human reproductive system.
  • The first time Papanikolaou identified the cancerous cell in a sample from a woman with cervical cancer, he confessed it was one of the most important experiences of his career.
  • His first clinical trial proved the diagnostic value of cytological examination of smears. This work became the cornerstone of his method that would allow the timely diagnosis of cervical cancer.
  • His achievements were received with doubt by the US medical community. However, he was convinced and continued his research. 
  • He demonstrated the normal and abnormal smears taken from the cervix could be viewed under the microscope and be correctly classified. 
  • This procedure, now known as the Pap (Papanikolaou) smear or test, became the standard in screening for cervical cancer. 

Sudden heart attack 

  • The scientist worked relentlessly on his experiments for many years. He often put in a six-and-a-half week and a 14-hour day at Cornell and at his home in Douglaston Queens.
  • Physicians and other scientists from all parts of the world went to him at his Cornell laboratory to become proficient in his test technique.
  • In 1961, despite the fact that he was 78 years old, he decided to leave New York and settle in Miami. He planned to undertake the management of the Miami Cancer Institute. 
  • However, he did not have the chance to inaugurate the institute himself. He died suddenly of a heart attack on February 19, 1962. The institute was renamed the Papanikolaou Cancer Research Institute in his honour.
  • Throughout his career, Papanikolaou kept bonds with Greece and maintained interest in the country’s politics.
  • Mary, his wife, continued his work in Miami until her death in 1982. “There was no other option for me but to follow him inside the lab, making his way of life mine,” she is quoted as saying. 
  • Her devotion was such that, according to local publications, she decided not to have children in order to always be by him.

Recognition 

  • In 1978, Papanikolaou’s work was honoured by the US Postal Service with a 13-cent stamp for early cancer detection.
  • Between 1995 and 2001, his portrait appeared on the Greek 10,000 drachma banknote, until its replacement by the euro.
  • He never received the Nobel Prize, but was nominated twice. He also received the Albert Lasker Award for clinical medical research in 1950. 
  • The scientist’s bibliography consists of 158 articles and five scientific books. 
  • One of the most important examples is the famous Atlas of Exfoliative Cytology. The book is considered by many a milestone in the science of cytology.

*With information from AlJazeera & Wikipedia

Funeral home’s horror coffin mix-up has happened before

The Greek Herald
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Funeral home’s horror coffin mix-up has happened before

After The Greek Herald broke the news of the mix-up of two bodies by Greek-owned funeral parlour, Euro Funeral Services, one more mix-up has now come to the surface.

Speaking on 2GB radio this morning, a Greek Australian lady named Vicky came forward to reveal that a similar mistake had happened at a viewing of her grandmother in 2008 at St Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Gladesville.

“Once the service was over, we were invited up to the casket to say our final goodbyes. My 80-year-old grandfather went up… he stood over his wife, he was crying and shaking, he said his goodbye and he kissed this lady’s forehead,” Vicky told radio presenter, Ben Fordham.

“And then my mum came up and to this day I can still hear the shrill of my mum’s voice screaming ‘that’s not my mother’.”

Vicky says her grandmother’s body was on its way to another person’s viewing in Parramatta at the time the mistake was discovered.

She adds that her family is still very traumatised with what happened and says she’s kept the event quiet up until now because her grandfather was “ashamed that he was in such a distressed state, he himself didn’t even realise.”

“When I heard Spiro from Euro Funerals on your program yesterday telling your audiences this was a first, processes would have to be refined… well we can’t understand why this wouldn’t have been done after my grandmother’s mishap,” Vicky says.

Euro Funeral Services Director and O Kosmos Publisher, Mr Spiro Haralambous.

Vicky goes on to say that she did receive an apology from Euro Funeral Services at the time of the mix-up, but it’s “a pretty big mistake.”

On Tuesday night, Euro Funeral Services Funeral Director, Spiro Haralambous, also issued an apology to the Nicolopoulos family, after the body of their family member was mixed up with the body of another man on Friday last week.

“The procedure is normally that one should check the ID on the body before they actually put the coffin lid with the name plate on the coffin. This is where that procedure was not followed through,” Mr Haralambous said.

Hearing impaired, Yiana Pandelis, making waves as star of new film ‘Unsound’

Andriana Simos
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Hearing impaired, Yiana Pandelis, making waves as star of new film ‘Unsound’

Greek Australian, Yiana Pandelis, has never let being profoundly deaf get in the way of her acting dream. Ever since she was a young girl, she knew she wanted to be an actress and was even nervous to tell her dad at first.

“I remember telling my dad for the first time and I was so nervous because it’s kind of an unexpected thing for a deaf person to suggest,” Yiana tells The Greek Herald.

“I was quite young and I asked dad for acting classes and… he knew somebody, obviously being a Greek, and I did classes. My neighbour became my agent.”

Greek Australian, Yiana Pandelis, has never let being profoundly deaf get in the way of her acting dream. Photo supplied.

Yiana has never looked back. Since then she’s been making waves in the film industry, despite the challenges she faces every day due to her deafness.

“I feel like I had to work twice as hard just because people are naturally able to speak and express themselves but being hearing impaired, I don’t grasp everything straight away,” Yiana explains.

“But the perks of it is definitely that because I am a minority, when there is a role for me, there’s not as many people going for it.”

Yiana is currently playing a passionate emerging young trans-man and proud Auslan-only speaker called Finn in the romantic drama, Unsound. She says she was excited when she found out she’d won the role because there were a lot of requirements for it.

“It was crazy because so many things were required for the role: someone who had to learn Auslan or knew it, someone who had to cut their hair, someone who was in the LGBTQI community, someone who was hearing impaired or deaf,” Yianna, who also identifies as gay, says.

“So I felt amazing when I won the role because I know how hard it is. It’s really hard to get a role in Australia, especially a leading role in an Australian feature film. It’s like winning the lottery.”

And with Yiana having plans to hopefully move to Los Angeles one day, we’re sure that she’ll be winning even more exciting roles in the future. We wish her all the best!

Screentimes for Unsound movie can be found here.

Parthenon Marbles among artefacts being examined by British Museum’s new curator

Andriana Simos
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Parthenon Marbles among artefacts being examined by British Museum’s new curator

The British Museum has hired a curator to delve into the history of its eight million objects, many of which were obtained during the colonial era. 

Historian Dr Isobel MacDonald is to lead the museum’s History of Collection research, by examining how objects have arrived in the museum since its foundation.

Several of the items in the museum’s collection are subject to claims, including the Parthenon Marbles, which were taken from Greece, the Benin Bronzes, the Rosetta Stone and the four-tonne Hoa Hakananai’a statue from Easter Island.

According to The Art Newspaper, although claims are being made for artefacts such as the Parthenon Marbles, the new curator has a wider brief to examine more general issues relating to the past acquisitions. 

The British Museum has hired a curator to delve into the history of its eight million objects.

A British Museum spokesperson said “it is not the purpose of this role to examine the specific histories of contested objects,” although the project “will cover areas of the collection that include contested objects.”

“This means it is likely that issues such as the role of the slave trade and empire…will be relevant to some of the research undertaken,” the spokesperson adds.

“The primary purpose is to carry out a high-level analysis of the history of the collection. It will look at the wider patterns of how different types of objects from different parts of the world entered the collection and place those in a broader historical context.”

Until last year, MacDonald was a teaching assistant in Art History at the University of Glasgow, following her doctorate there on William Burrell (1861-1958) as a collector.

She hopes that the British Museum project will “develop a different way to look at the history of such an important institution that will allow us to better understand how the collection came together.”

MacDonald’s research should provide important background—and her work will no doubt be closely monitored by claimants.

Timber shortage sees NSW housing industry on brink of collapse

The Greek Herald
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Timber shortage sees NSW housing industry on brink of collapse

Thousands of jobs are at risk in New South Wales if the state’s timber supply runs out as soon as April, as predicted by experts, because of the bushfires and the pandemic.

Some timber manufacturers are now calling for the resource to be freighted from interstate to NSW for processing, but said transportation costs meant the move wasn’t viable without government subsidies.

According to The Daily Telegraph, it’s understood NSW considered subsidising long-haul transport of timber, only for it to be deemed unviable due to the long-term supply challenge facing the industry.

Carpenters Spyros and Costa Theos, from Laconia Carpentry, at work in Randwick. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“People ask me, what are the alternatives? I explain, there are no alternatives,” Jon Kleinschmidtm CEO of Hyne Timber, which runs one of NSW’s largest timber mills at Tumbarumba, told The Daily Telegraph.

“This sawmill… needs logs to keep people in jobs and maintain the supply of Australian grown and manufactured timber for our construction sector.”

The high demand for homes, driven by the Federal Government’s Homebuilder incentives, is the biggest factor in NSW’s shortfall, according to the Australian Forest Products Association deputy CEO, Victor Violante.

And while worse is predicted, the bite is already being felt at ground-level by builders as they grapple with a shortage of supplies for residential construction.

Laconia Carpentry business owner John Theos, of Castle Hill, said his suppliers were already struggling to source enough timber and were often late.

”It’s hard to get the lengths you want, or the type of treated pine I normally use … deliveries are often days late now too,” Mr Theos, 55, told The Daily Telegraph.

“I’m buying pallets of loose timber from my supplier just so we can make frames, and I’m shuffling my jobs around a lot because I can’t complete them if I don’t have the pine for it.”

Source: The Daily Telegraph.

Melbourne cancels Greek Independence Day March this year

The Greek Herald
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Melbourne cancels Greek Independence Day March this year

The Organising Committee for the Celebration of the Greek National Day in Victoria has officially announced the cancellation of the Greek Independence Day March for 2021.

The march was scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 21 at the Shrine of Remembrance in Victoria.

The Organising Committee said it was in the “unpleasant position” to cancel the march as it had been working hard to make this year’s 200th anniversary event perfect for Melbourne’s Greek community.

On Wednesday, January 27, the Committee held its first meeting for the year 2021. Reference was made to the community’s rich program to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the start of the Greek Revolution. The General Secretary, Antonis Tsourdalakis, congratulated and thanked the organisations, schools and parishes that showed interest in organising an anniversary event and declared their participation so that their event was included in the official program of Victoria for 2021, but also in the national program of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia.

READ MORE: Victorian program for the 200th anniversary of Greek Independence Day released.

After referring to the program, Mr Tsourdalakis told the members of the Committee that due to the restrictive measures of the pandemic that still prevail in the state of Victoria and the measures imposed by the Guardians of the Shrine, they should be especially careful with the handling of this year’s parade.

The biggest problem the Committee had to deal with was the gathering of a large number of people. According to the regulations that prevail at this time, the Guardians of the Shrine informed Mr Tsourdalakis that only 500 people are allowed to gather and it is strictly forbidden to exceed that number, explaining that if this happens there will be consequences and sanctions to individuals, as well as the officials of the Organising Committee, which may include not allowing the march to be held in the future at the Shrine of Remembrance.

Many views were exchanged on the issue with all members agreeing that their priority was the safety of their fellow human beings, without endangering the wider Victorian society, but also securing the parade for the future. The members present unanimously agreed to cancel this year’s parade.

Mr Tsourdalakis closed the meeting by emphasising that the Greek community will have the opportunity to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution through a variety of anniversary ceremonies organised by expatriates and citizens. 

Although the parade will not take place for the second year in a row due for public health reasons, in Melbourne where the “heart” of Hellenism beats, the rest of the emblematic actions and events will continue in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Revolution of 1821 and the personalities who marked the liberation struggle.

Facebook to restrict sharing or viewing Australian and international news content

Andriana Simos
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Facebook to restrict sharing or viewing Australian and international news content

Facebook will restrict publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.

The announcement comes in response to proposed new laws in Australia that would force tech companies to negotiate with media companies over how much to pay them for news content.

The move would also prevent people overseas from sharing Australian content on the social media site.

In a statement, Facebook said it had made the decision after being unable to find a “solution” in discussions with the Australian government.

“The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content,” William Easton, Facebook’s Australia and New Zealand managing director, said.

“It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia. With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter.

“Unfortunately, this means people and news organisations in Australia are now restricted from posting news links and sharing or viewing Australian and international news content on Facebook.”

The ban appears to have come into effect for at least some users, who are now unable to post links to Australian news articles on their Facebook pages.

The move comes a day after Nine and Seven West Media reportedly made multi-million-dollar deals with Google for use of content.

“We understand many will ask why the platforms may respond differently,” the Facebook statement says.

“The answer is because our platforms have fundamentally different relationships with news. Google Search is inextricably intertwined with news and publishers do not voluntarily provide their content.”

More to come.

Army called out in Greece to help repair widespread damage from snowstorm

The Greek Herald
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Army called out in Greece to help repair widespread damage from snowstorm

Greece called in the armed forces on Wednesday to help repair widespread damage caused by heavy snowfall in Athens.

The Athens snowstorm, described by authorities as the most severe in 20 years, blanketed the city and its ancient monuments on Tuesday and left parts of the capital without power and water.

Armed forces service members, including marines, used cranes and chainsaws to help fire crews clear hundreds of downed trees that damaged the electricity network and blocked roads.

Greece called in the armed forces on Wednesday to help repair widespread damage. Credit: The Greek Herald.

More than 800 fallen trees in greater Athens struck power lines, and hundreds more were reported in nearby areas including the island of Evia off the coast of the southeast mainland.

“The main challenge now is to restore the power supply to homes. This storm caused problems around the country,” Civil Protection chief, Nikos Hardalias, said.

“In Evia alone, 500 damaged electricity posts and pylons were replaced. The army and crews from civilian agencies worked through the night and are continuing to work now.”

Parts of Athens have been left without power and water.

Greek Migration Minister visits Kara Tepe camp after snowstorm:

Greek Migration and Asylum Minister, Notis Mitarakis, paid a late night visit to the Kara Tepe camp on the island of Lesvos at midnight on Tuesday.

The Minister inspected the living conditions of the approximately 7,000 asylum-seekers in the camp, where icy conditions prevailed, and “issued instructions for their improvement,” local media reported.

Emergency weather conditions have not created particular problems and are being addressed without disturbing the community’s normality,” Mitarakis posted on social media after his visit.

Mitarakis’ comments caused outrage amongst many NGO’s, with MSF Sea asking on Twitter: “Would you spend one night in any of these tents in sub 0°C temperatures @nmitarakis? Would you allow your children to do it?”

Source: AP News / Keep Talking Greek.

Stefanos Tsitsipas pulls off comeback of the tournament in epic clash with Rafael Nadal

The Greek Herald
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Stefanos Tsitsipas pulls off comeback of the tournament in epic clash with Rafael Nadal

‘Wow’ is the only word to describe the epic clash between tennis superstars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal tonight, with the Greek narrowly coming out on top 6-3 6-2 6-7 4-6 6-4.

Tsitsipas was back in yellow on the court tonight, still with no fans in the crowd, proving to be a hindrance to both players. Nadal last faced the Greek in the Australian Open in 2019, where he won in three straight sets.

Tsitsipas had a strong start to the match and showed from early on there would be no three-set shutdown. Almost pushing him to a break point, the Greek did well to capitalise on Nadal’s slower serve, only hitting 145km/hr during his service game.

Photo: Getty Images

Of course for either player, the match would be no easy road to victory. The Spaniard also threatened to break Tsitsipas multiple times during the first set, ultimately succeeding and bringing himself to a 5-3 lead. Nadal eventually went on to win the first set 6-3.

Despite a first set loss, Tsitsipas played well against the current World No. 2, who has had over 10 years of experience in the Australian Open.

Despite the Greek’s best efforts to come out strong after being a set down, the Spaniard was truly unstoppable. Nadal managed to get a break point in Tsitsipas’ first service game, securing an early set lead.

An incredible showman despite the crowd, Nadal delivered near-perfect cross-court shots that would force even Djokovic to sit down and hold his racquet in disbelief. Nadal claimed a second break point in the second set, breezing through to the third set.

Photo: Reuters

Set three saw a much closer competition between the two tennis professionals. Both players took their service games convincingly, with Tsitsipas finally bringing in his strong right arm serve.

Taking the game to a tie-breaker, both players struck hard and fierce, Tsitsipas finally looking for a lifeline to stay in this tournament. That lifeline thankfully came for the Greek, and while many people may have written him off, Tsitsipas persevered and came through to win the third set n the tie-breaker.

Tsitsipas entered the fourth set with the same passion he left the third. The Greek almost managed to take a break point in the first game, yet was held off by the Spaniard. From this point, the tide had certainly turned towards Tsitsipas’ favour. Almost every one of Nadal’s service games was challenged closely by Tsitsipas.

Tsitsipas’ efforts finally came to fruition after the Greek managed to secure a break point before his final service game. The Greek expertly finished up the set 6-4 and pushed the match into a decider fifth set.

The fifth set really showed the competitive level of both players this tournament. World class from beginning end, regardless of the result.

But at the end of the day there can only be one winner, and this winner truly proved himself tonight.

Stefanos Tsitsipas took a break point on Nadal’s final service game, and despite Tsitsipas’ service hitting a deuce, the Greek took the set and match, marking an incredible comeback.

“I don’t know what happened after the third set,” Tsitsipas said after the match.

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